Melody of the Stars: Rebirth
by Number III
Summary: Centuries ago, a great war tore apart the lands... now, those lands are all but forgotten. All that remains as legacy is a legend, which turned to myth and later to a simple bed-time story... but the past is not content to lay at rest. No pairings  yet .
1. The Legend

**Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its owner(s) – Not me, the writer of this fanfiction. I'm just mooching off the framework already set in place... largely because I'm too lazy to finish my own, and, to a lesser degree, because I thought it'd be interesting to mix and match a few things...**

**Author's Note:** Since Wind and Water is at a relative standstill, I'm going to take a break from it for a little bit and work on a side-project in an effort to regenerate my muse... similar to passing your 'lucky dice' to your buddy when it stops rolling high to 'charge it up.' No, I'm not as much of a D&D nerd as that statement might make me seem. This will go more in depth into the nature of Aura's pantheon. Aeria will only be mentioned in passing... or will she? If you want, perhaps, a better introduction to the character as she truly was, before her reincarnation, then this is where you will find it.

**Zero**

**End of an Age**

_The singing of the birds..._

The sky above, dark and gray, rumbled as rain poured down, pelting the streets of the city beneath the sky here. Drenching it.

"**Aquaria at last awoke, to try and save the land she sheltered. In the heavens, she fought her own foe, while beneath the mortals shed one another's blood. Her fury was known to them, though. Known as the fierce storm above, as she and her sister, together awake for the first time in centuries, did battle against an evil all others of the pantheon had fallen against."**

_...the flowing of the waters._

Blades clashed. The Outer Wall had fallen, and all defenders that did not flee to the Second Wall were crushed. Screams of fury echoed throughout the night, somehow heard all too clearly over the storm above. There no screams of fear. Only determination and rage. Pure, unbridled fury was the driving force here.

"**But Aquaria was no warrior. The Lady of the Waters kept all secrets. Knew all that which was to come. Her fury could wash fleets aside – make lands once prosperous vanish beneath the waves... but she was no warrior. She was never given chance to fight, ever asleep in the slumber she slept in times of conflict. Her sister was the one who fought most. The mistress of the heavens, whose wrath could conjure mighty squalls and fierce hurricanes. The Storm-Maiden and the Sea-Maiden fought against their foe, but it was their nature that one yield to the other..."**

_The trembling of the leaves..._

The Second Wall fell, and the defenders fell back to the third. Their assailants pushed onward, crushing the gardens that once lined the streets, shattering statues and monuments, and breaking every flag and banner they saw. There were no wounded left behind... all stragglers were slain.

"**...and so it was that her sister's blade missed its target once, and their foe darted past and to the side, to where Aquaria stood giving aid. As The Lady of the Skies turned in desperation, her sister, her twin... her other half... slid off their opponent's blade – in the mortal lands below, lightning struck throughout the land so fiercely twas as if the sun shone through the clouds. A terrible, wicked wind picked up and knocked entire forests aside. And those mortals fighting paused in awe. Such was her grief."**

_...and the sorrow of the storm._

The third, and final, wall fell. The defenders did not fall back. They stood their ground and fought. They fought to their last breath, giving ground so grudgingly that their opponent's advanced only one inch in an entire day... for these were the Royal Knights of Aura, champions of the throne, and warriors unmatched in their trade. When the last blood was let, and the final knight fell, defiantly, to the ground... the attackers felt no sense of victory. In order to reach this point, the gates of White Hold, seat of Aura's royal house, they had lost hundreds... thousands... all to a mere seven hundred troops. Five hundred fully trained knights, two hundred squires. When the doors were breached to the citadel, the attackers had to climb a veritable mountain of bodies, both their own and their enemy's, to enter.

"**The last goddess felt her follower's fear. Their distress, and their sorrow which nearly matched her own... and she felt her chosen warrior, her daughter among mortals... draw her last breath, reaching out in vain to someone, anyone, to save... not her... but another. The princess her daughter was given task to defend. The goddess decided then her daughter's wish would be granted. That the people who gave their lives would not have died in vain. When her foe struck her... she did not block the blow... nor did she simply receive it. Instead, when his blade entered into her and her form began to shift and her power wain... she repelled it. Such was the force unleashed the the clouds parted below to reveal a starless night. The goddess regained the power she had begun to lose, drawing more still from the will of the dead and the dying below. Her foe charged, sensing, perhaps, what she planned, but it was for naught. When his fel blade thrust forward, the goddess was gone. As he howled in fury, she smiled in triumph as she hid herself away. Far away from this man. Carried along by the hopes of her dead followers, she sealed herself within the last heir to the throne of the land so that, one day, she would ensure, personally, that it was restored."**

_A great shaking..._

The last tattered banner of Aura hung from the highest tower for centuries afterward, kept aloft and strong against time by forces unknown to man. When finally it fell, it fell gracefully, falling from its weathered post to drift along the wind through the heavens. By some queer twist of fate or... perhaps... a clever design, the banner that had survived centuries of war, peace, and merciless time... found its way to be draped in the higher branch of a tree on a hill, surrounded by seven ancient columns and emerald grass until, at the bottom of the hill, the forest started once more. And in the distance, one could see the beginnings of a mountain. A mountain with four faces carved into it.

..._a reed pipe._

Once, this place was known as Mystera. Once, this hill was known as Elhen Tatha, the Everlasting Slope, and once, the mountain was known as Etherea – The cornerstone of the realm of mortals... the only point which bypassed the divine realm and brushed against the void. Now, however...

_...the first stirrings..._

Now this realm was known as the Land of Fire, the hill was nameless, and the mountain was known as a monument. The Hokage's Monument... a symbol of the deeds of some of this lands' greatest leaders.

_...of the omen of destruction._

"**For she was a clever goddess – every bit as capable of adapting to change as her sister was at preparing for it. She knew her opportunity would only rise after generations had passed and her memory was all but forgotten. She knew she would have to wait until the land was as if she never was, and that no soul knew of her as anything but a myth or story. The goddess knew her power would wain and die until it was but a mere speck of what it once was, held aloft only by the faith of her chosen vessel and their descendents. Should at any time that faith disappear completely... the goddess knew she would die a true death, unlike those of her followers, who would reincarnate, and that of her sister, who could be restored, given enough time and faith. But the goddess knew, somehow, that somewhere along down the line, even if that faith faded, one descendant would believe in her existence, just enough, and she would reborn..."**

"**And then... the Lady of Storms would exact her wrath upon whatever remnants of her foe remained, with the help of her new child. Her champion. It would be a golden age that followed."**


	2. Kioku Yurei

**Disclaimer: Naruto (and everything in it) belongs to its owner(s) – Not me, the writer of this fanfiction. I'm just mooching off the framework already set in place... largely because I'm too lazy to finish my own, and, to a lesser degree, because I thought it'd be interesting to mix and match a few things...**

**Author's Note: **_Since Wind and Water's chapter nine was on my other PC (which is currently inaccessible) I'm going to take a brief break from it to work on MotS here, since it seems like a fair number of people are interested in seeing where I'll go from chapter one._

_I have no idea whether or not I'll disappoint you, or what you expect, since _**not a single one of you**_ mentioned anything to that effect, and only _**one**_ person even bothered to review..._

Cough_._

_Anyway, I've tried planning this out several different ways... in the end I've decided I'm going to wing it and see what happens. In other words, I've been trying so hard to come up with the perfect intro or the perfect plan that I've decided, "Screw it. Let's just push the ball of snow and watch it grow."_

_Yes, "Yurei" is a powerful character. No, I've no idea how this is going to work out; any ideas on how to balance things out and such will be appreciated. Flat complaints will _**not**_._

**One**

_Kioku Yurei_

"**Have faith in this child – he's our son!" **Namikaze Minato exclaimed, standing before the Kyubi, **"Shiki Fujin!"**

Time stopped, and Minato found himself standing in a vast, dark chamber, before an enormous, mirror-like gate. '_Where?'_ He thought, surprised, '_This isn't how the Shiki Fujin is supposed to work!'_

Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of the Village hidden in the Leaves. A dull, monotonous voice called out, prompting Minato to whirl about. In the darkness before him was a pair of eery, aquamarine orbs, glowing as if on fire. You are a leader. You are a husband. You are a father. You truly intend to sign the unhallowed pact?

So this was the shinigami? It was... more stand-offish than Minato had been expecting. What legend spoke of it asking for confirmation? Shouldn't it be eager to take his soul?

"Of course!" Minato responded, gathering his wits and solidifying his resolve.

"

Why? The shinigami's voice questioned, echoing about the darkness. This is an unholy rite you perform; it will do what you wish, but tragedy will surely accompany its success.

"Because I'm a leader – because I'm a father." The man answered fearlessly, "The Kyubi is too powerful to leave whole, and this masked man – Madara or whoever he is – he's too powerful for anyone to take on... unless..."

You would curse your newborn son with this destiny? The voice pressed, eyes blazing even more ferociously.

Taking a breath to steel himself, Minato nodded, "I have faith in him."

There was a pause, and for a moment Minato worried the shinigami would decide to simply kill him, or worse, for daring call upon it, when suddenly a podium appeared before him, a parchment laying on it.

...if you truly desire this, then I cannot stop you. It is not my way – but know this; your child will be burdened tremendously. Unimaginably. You cannot fathom the weight that will fall on his shoulders. If this curse is your will, then sign the contract in blood.

The Fourth Hokage cut his hand without hesitation, writing his name in the contract immediately.

There was a sudden outcrop of azure flames, and the contract was gone.

"Very well, Minato." A soft, feminine voice called from behind the blonde, prompting him to turn toward the gate once more to find a heavily robed woman standing before him, a bent staff in one hand – from which a scythe-like blade of azure fire hung. "With this contract," She stated, holding the parchment with Minato's signature in one hand, "I am yours for one night, and your son's guardian until his death... at which point both your souls will join the Kyubi's in oblivion. I am ruin incarnate – the hollow guardian of life and death; known to you as the shinigami. I ask you now before the gear of fate turns; is this truly your will?"

Staring into the pale, aquamarine eyes of the shinigami, Minato nodded.

"Then the pact is made."

The parchment vanished in another wave of flames, and the shinigami looked from where it once was to Minato with an expression resembling disappointment... and then everything faded for Minato and he found himself standing before the Kyubi no Yoko once more, the shinigami hovering in the air before him.

"**You!"** The demon fox exclaimed, furious, **"That foolish Yondaime actually signed the contract?"**

In response, the shinigami spread her arms wide, her scythe hovering in the air behind her as six chains of azure flames shot out from her robes, wrapping themselves around the Kyubi before pulling out a bubbling, orange sphere from its center. The Kyubi roared as its Yin chakra was condensed into a ball and removed from it.

The energy in the ball traveled up the chains then, and into the shinigami's form, vanishing.

Your previous destiny has been annulled; a new path is set before you.

The neutral voice from before called out as the Kyubi snarled, struggling in vain to escape the chains... only for six new chains to launch themselves from the blade of the scythe as the previous ones faded. Again, the chakra was drained into the chains, where it traveled to the blade, dying it blood-red as the Kyubi's form slowly vanished, until nothing was left save the shinigami floating in mid-air.

The deity turned to Minato then, motioning him to move aside as she drifted toward Naruto. Begrudgingly, Minato yielded, allowing the shinigami to close the gap.

For a moment, the shinigami simply loomed over Naruto – looking down on him almost piteously... before, with a single swift flick of the wrist, the blood-red blade of the scythe dipped itself into the babe's stomach, eliciting a cry of pain as Naruto woke up.

Minato panicked, but could not move as the crimson energy in the blade drifted into Naruto's stomach, mingling with the boy's chakra and the shinigami's flames alike, until the scythe was simply a staff, and was removed to reveal a pulsating, runic seal.

"Congratulations, Minato Namikaze," The shinigami spoke, voice laced with thin, barely detectable venom, "Your eternity is now forfeit, as is your son's."

Before Minato could respond, he was suddenly knocked unconscious by a tap from the shinigami's staff. Moment's later, he vanished.

"I pray this works as you intended, you naïve fool." The shinigami muttered, her staff vanishing and her robes changing and slimming to become a simple tunic and pants; obscuring cloth yielding to a lithe, athletic form as a wave of azure hair fell from the woman's head, unbound. A quick glance to Kushina's nearby form – battered, but still barely conscious, and the shinigami sighed, picking up Naruto's small form, which was now asleep.

"You are dying." The deity remarked, bluntly, as she stood over Kushina, "It is my job still, before this night is over, to carry out Minato's wishes. The fool wants me to seal your consciousness into the boy; a small portion of your soul to aid him in the future. I am not without pity. I can do better, and there is someone who owes me a favor... so, I ask you while you still yet live; do you wish this boon?" Seeing Kushina's concerned, shocked face, the deity sighed again, "Should you accept, your soul will be sealed within your son, much as the kyubi, but able to dispense advice and so on. By consequence, however, you will join him in oblivion – which is _not_ something to be taken lightly, I might add, as your fool husband did not seem to fully understand. You will have no afterlife. You will have no reincarnations. Your existence will _end_, when he dies."

Unfortunately, Kushina's response was a foregone conclusion.

With a heavy heart, and a minor headache, the shinigami dispelled the barrier surrounding the battlefield and left, a konoha forehead protector materializing as a large scarf wrapped around her neck. Stepping away from the battle, and toward the third hokage, the shinigami left two corpses behind.

Taking in the hokage, who drew back from her warily, and the two ANBU beside him, who remained motionless, the shinigami let out another sigh, "You know what I am." She stated simply, garnering a stiff nod. "For simplicity's sake, my name from now on is Kioku Yurei."

"Memory Ghost." The third hokage intoned, "...why is it that you still stand before me – wearing a konoha forehead protector, then... Kioku-dono?"

Yurei, for that was what she had decided to be called, would have pressed a hand to her head if they were not occupied with the babe in her arms, "Because it was your Fourth Hokage's will I personally safeguard young Naruto's life. To do this, it would be prudent that I be around him as much as possible... do you have an argument against this, Hokage_-sama_?"

For a moment, Yurei's aquamarine eyes smoldered, threatening to come ablaze, and Hiruzen was reminded of who – or rather, what – he was dealing with.

"I cannot simply instate you as a ninja of Konoha-" Hiruzen started, only for Yurei to interrupt him.

"You do not need to. It has already been arranged. I am Kioku Yurei, special jonin of Konoha; placed on reserve due to crippling health issues, recently discovered to have been caused by a complex chakra seal. I have served Konoha for fifteen years; two as a genin; I was the only member of my team to pass the exams. The other two members, Shin Saki and Shin Akako, died during the event. Jonin sensei was Seiki Oka, who died during a mission shortly after my graduation... all of this only exists in paper, of course, but legally I am a shinobi of Konoha and should you do something to change that..." Yurei let that trail off, motioning to the child in her arms, "...I'm sure I can train this one properly myself if I have to."

_'How?'_ Was the first question, but it was left unasked as it answered itself, almost. Yurei was the (or at least, _a_) shinigami – a divine being; who knew what forces had conspired to make this come to pass? For all he knew _Yurei_ called in a favor, or something about the contract she made took care of simple complications to make it possible. The second question, however, was more relevant, "Was that a threat?"

"Not at all." Yurei assured, "...I am bound by contract to protect this child. Whatever you may try to do or say, I will continue to do so."

Hiruzen wished dearly Minato was still around and _Yurei_ hadn't spirited him away. At least then he would have someone he could complain to. "Paperwork or not, no one from the village has ever seen you before. There is a glaring hole in your story..."

Yurei shrugged, head tilted to the side as if to say, 'Do you really think I care?'

With an internal sigh, the third hokage directed Yurei to go with him to the hokage tower.

'_This is going to be a long, long month.'_ He thought wearily.

Yurei merely followed – gaze blank enough to make an _Aburame_ flinch.

'_Hey...'_ She thought to herself, glancing down at the child in her arms, '_...did you plan this out somehow, Lady Harvest?'_

There was no response, but that was okay...

Yurei had long ago resigned herself to that.

_'Even without a guide; the gear of fate turns on. Damn this accursed world.'_


	3. Hyuga Hinata

**Disclaimer: Naruto (and everything in it) belongs to its owner(s) – Not me, the writer of this fanfiction. I'm just mooching off the framework already set in place... largely because I'm too lazy to finish my own, and, to a lesser degree, because I thought it'd be interesting to mix and match a few things...**

**Author's Note: A couple of hints regarding "Yurei" are dropped and Naruto makes his first friend, as well as sees a disturbing dream. Certain people are bashed just a little (or rather, lectured **harshly**).**

**Two**

_Hyuga Hinata_

_Naruto was flying._

_Dense forest, endless desert – icy mountains and grassy plains... He passed over them all. All around the world. Over cities – both broken and live... along the ocean's surface – up toward the very moon, it seemed._

_As he was flying – through a vast, starless night – something stirred in the darkness. A flash of shade._

_Eyes widened, then winced in pain as something shot from the veil. Somethin cold – hard. It wrapped around his ankles, then his wrists, dragging him back. Pulling him into the night._

_In the distance, the white moon was tainted a sick red before it, too, turned to darkness._

_Naruto reached for it, desperate, as his hands vanished before him – covered in ink, it seemed._

_And then there was nothing more. Everything had been taken by the night. Sucked away into the Void._

"NARUTO!"

.O.

**Five to six years after the Kyubi attack.**

Eyelids snapped open as Naruto nearly threw himself out of bed, only to be caught by a gentle, if firm, hand.

Shaking slightly, Naruto turned to face the hand's owner as his dream faded from memory. He was met with his guardian's traditionally dead-pan face.

"...baa-ka." Yurei drawled, releasing Naruto and letting him fall to the floor.

"Ouch!" The blonde exclaimed rubbing his forehead, "Why'd you do that?"

"You did it to yourself, bakuto." The other responded, nudging Naruto with the tip of her left foot. "You going to get up and eat breakfast or do I have to throw out another pack of ramen?"

Immediately Naruto was on his feet, pain forgotten, "Alright alright! I'm up – spare the ramen... and I told you not to call me that!"

"Call you what bakuto?" Yurei questioned as she exited the room.

"That!"

"...maybe if you stop acting like such a fool." Yurei's voice echoed from outside as Naruto hastily dressed himself and brushed his teeth, fuming, his dream completely forgotten.

Downstairs, Yurei allowed herself a miniscule smirk. '_Objective accomplished.'_

Breakfast in the cheap, run-down apartment that was their home was always a simple affair. Naruto would eat too fast, choke on his food, and then start all over. Yurei would watch with an impassive mask and faint amusement in her eyes. Naruto would finish last, and Yurei would be waiting for him at the door, training supplies in hand and ready for five to six hours of endless drilling in the fine arts of the shinobi... Yurei's rendition of them, anway.

Typical days began at around five and ended somewhere near ten in the morning, though sometimes Yurei kept Naruto at it for an extra hour or two if she wanted to... impress... something on him thoroughly. (Naruto referred to this as Yurei venting stress on him; a notion Yurei found mildly entertaining).

When training was over, Yurei would take Naruto to a choice location (though he could only go to Icharaku's once a week) which would typically result in Naruto insisting they go to the park, visit "Jiji," the academy, or some such simple activity. Generally, Naruto avoided the park though – choosing to leave if a certain amount of people were there or, more specifically, if a few certain ones weren't.

It was a relief for both the villagers and Naruto. He got out of dealing with them... they got out of dealing with Yurei's "Dead Glare no Jutsu".

On one such outing, after turning back from the park (much to Yurei's ire), the pair encountered the first of what would be Naruto's circle of friends.

It wasn't a sunny day, by Konoha's standards – the sky was visible but there were several clouds. Yurei suspected rain. Naruto could care less; the "idiots" (as Yurei called them) were filling the park despite the weather, jiji was busy, and he'd already eaten at Icharaku's this week... meaning that he had absolutely nothing to do, so he could look forward to a long afternoon inside the apartment with Yurei.

Not an appealing thought to him. Yurei wasn't much for conversation.

It was just before the final turn of the corner that would take them home that Yurei realized they were being followed. Surprising, considering that the faux-kunoichi could detect the various ANBU assigned to Naruto at all times, and this one was an amateur at best. Must have slipped past due to all the other things Yurei was tracking...

"Hey," Yurei called over her shoulder, interrupting one of Naruto's beligerent rants, "you going to come out or do I have to deal with you like all the other people I've caught following us?"

There was a shrill 'Eep!' from the other end of the street and Naruto whirled about in surprise.

"People follow us?" He asked, confused, prompting Yurei to sigh as her oblivious charge leaned back and forth in a very obvious attempt to spy the person in question. "Who?"

Their follower wasn't hard to spot. Immediately after being called out, she tripped up and fell out of hiding, revealing a young girl about Naruto's age.

"Hm, what's this?" Yurei questioned curiously, guarded hostility seemingly evaporating, "Here I thought the Hyuga had settled on indifference... what are you doing following us home?"

"I-I... um..." The girl stuttered, picking herself up and stepping back as Yurei leaned forward slightly, arms crossed, "...er... bye?"

She bolted, only to find Yurei standing in front of her, head tilted to one side. "Want to try again?"

"Eep!" The girl exclaimed, shocked. '_So fast!'_

Yurei sighed, "Calm down. Deep breaths. I don't hurt children."

This seemed to relax the girl somewhat, much to Yurei's relief and Naruto's curiosity. "Wow, I didn't know Yu-baa could be nice."

"...if you think commenting on my age is going to get a rise out of me, you're mistaken, bakuto." Yurei responded without taking her eyes off the young Hyuga. "So... your name?"

"No fun," Naruto muttered as Yurei's quarry averted her gaze.

"Hinata. H-Hyuga Hinata." She answered, blushing for some reason the kunoichi didn't care to think about.

"Hiashi's daughter?" Yurei questioned, garnering a halting nod. "...what are you doing outside the compound, in the most run-down district of the village, following _me and Naruto – _pariahs of the year –of all people?"

Sharp eyes spotted the callouses and minor cuts on Hinata's hands as the girl responded, "I... I wanted... I wanted to talk with Naruto!" She exclaimed in a rush, prompting a bemused blink from Yurei.

"...so you stalked him? That's not a habit you should keep into adulthood, you know. Not healthy... then again, this is a ninja village..." Seeing Hinata growing slightly redder at the vague implications, Yurei let out a sigh. What was her clan teaching her? "You wanted to talk to him, so talk; no backing out now."

Put on spot, Hinata gave a stiff nod before turning to Naruto, who was watching the entire affair with a sort of detached curiosity. Why would someone want to _talk_ with him? A _Hyuga_ at that? Every time he encountered one... well, they didn't glare at him. They didn't even look at him! '_...then again, can't they see through the back of their heads or something? Do they even need to look at me to glare at me?'_ Naruto gave a slight shudder at the thought.

"Um..." The girl started, growing redder by the second and pulling Naruto from his thoughts, "w-would..." She trailed off, and Naruto stared at her expectantly. Hinata might have stopped then and fled, but the memory of Yurei's swift interception was still vivid – as was the warning '_No backing out now.' _"Wouldyouliketobefriends?" The girl shot out, faster than before.

Naruto tilted his head, having missed almost half of what she said. "Um... sure?" He asked. Seeing Hinata's relieved face, Naruto smiled and gave her a cheeky thumbs-up. "Sure, no problem!"

Hinata fainted.

Naruto fumbled to catch her.

Yurei sighed.

.O.

When the young heiress woke up, she found herself in an unfamiliar room with next to no personal additions.

"Pleasant dreams, I hope?"

Hinata's head snapped to the side where Yurei was leaning against a wall, aquamarine eyes staring at the Hyuga with burning intensity.

"You'll find that your various injuries have all been healed... so don't waste the effort and start pushing yourself too hard again."

Hinata flinched, and Yurei stood up from the wall. "Naruto's been worried about you... I trust you can follow through with being his friend and _not_ faint at his mere presence?"

Again, Hinata flinched, but gave Yurei a bewildered nod. Satisfied, Yurei opened the door and hastily stepped to the side... just in time for Naruto to fall flat on his face, hands splayed outward. "Again?" He shouted, springing back to his feet and pointing at Yurei accusingly.

"Again with what, bakuto?" His guardian asked, voice laced with mock-curiosity.

Uncharacteristically determining this was a battle that could not be won (at the moment) Naruto ended his fuming and rounded on Hinata, "Are you alright? What happened? Did Yurei heal you as well as... well, never mind."

Dazed by the barrage of questions, Hinata nodded, which was enough for Naruto. Satisfied, Naruto turned back to Yurei. "Say... I've been thinking-"

"Shocking," Yurei cut in, prompting Naruto to frown.

"...I've been _thinking_." he continued, trailing off as if to dare Yurei to interrupt him again. She didn't. "Hinata's a Hyuga. I'm... well, I'm me. What's your family like?"

There was a pregnant silence, then, as the children stared at the adult, and the adult looked away from them and out the window. "They _were..._" Yurei started, and then trailed off before picking it up again, "...loyal. Dedicated. And stubborn – more stubborn than you, Naruto."

"Hey!" The blond exclaimed, only to fall silent at a Dead Glare from Yurei.

"I can't say much, really, to describe them to you exactly. Most of what you would call my family... I was an orphan as well, so I guess you could say everyone was my family. The entire village... of course, "family" is not the term I would like to use to describe our... bond. Really, my only family was my sister – a fellow orphan. Loud, boisterous, talented – oh you wouldn't believe it. She could learn a jutsu as soon as you showed it to her. No sharingan. No tricks. Pure, unbridled genius..." Yurei gained a small grin, "and you know what she used that genius for, when she got bored with lessons?"

Deliberately pausing before she continued, Yurei's smile grew a bit more mischievous... and a bit more nostalgic. Bitter. "Pranks. Pranks and... breaking me out of my shell. Day after day, she'd sneak me out of my room and we'd terrorize everything that moved. I wish things could have stayed like that. She saved me. Now... she's gone, and I never got to return the favor and... believe me, I tried. There was no saving her... no matter what I did. No matter what she did. We couldn't escape."

As Yurei finished her "tale," Naruto was silent – for once. There was such... sadness, in Yurei's voice. Such anger that it had stilled him before he could speak.

"Naruto... I gave up." Yurei spoke suddenly, surprising both, "Never give up. _Never. _Do not allow _destiny_ to decide upon your course, under any circumstances... Stay true to yourself. You will succeed... just don't do what I did, and lie."

"Y-Yurei..." Her charge trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"What was her name?" Hinata asked, suddenly, breaking the mood somewhat.

Yurei's burning gaze returned to the Hyuga once more, and she flinched, but held strong. "Akako."

It was a blatant lie. Even the children could see that. Yurei gave too little emotion to the name... but they did not question her.

"Now then," She clapped, "I should take Hinata back to her clan before they break into our house. Naruto; stay here."

He did, for once. He stewed over what he'd been told, and determined that Yurei was blaming herself for something. For whatever happened to Akako.

He decided to help her accept it – to forgive herself – and that was the promise of a lifetime!

.O.

Upon coming to the gate of the Hyuga compound, Yurei was unimpressed. That was it? A simple wooden gate? Wasn't this supposed to be one of the most powerful clans in Konoha? Were they modest or was this some new form of arrogance?

"...this is the main gate?" The special jonin asked, and Hinata nodded nervously.

Face blank, Yurei raised her fist to the gate, as if to knock... and then flicked it. There was a brief flare of chakra – visible as a sudden outpouring of blue fire – before the gate gave way and swung open, either door slamming into the side of the wall. Immediately, Yurei found herself surrounded by various members of the Hyuga clan.

"Truly, I did not expect your gate to be so flimsy," The only non-hyuga present quipped, "Perhaps next time I shall take it into account and knock more lightly."

"Are you mocking us?" One member questioned furiously, even as another pointed to Hinata.

"Hinata-sama!" He cried, "Release her!"

Expression hidden beneath her scarf, Yurei pushed Hinata forward gently, "I take her not. Only return that which you've so easily lost."

As Hinata disappeared into the throng, glancing back at Yurei nervously – Hiashi approached. "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, staring directly into Yurei's burning gaze.

"Hiashi-sama," The newcomer greeted neutrally, "It would seem you need a sturdier gate."

"Indeed, and it would seem you have yet to attain a measure of proper decorum." The clan head responded bitingly.

One of Yurei's brows rose, "Forgive me, I was under the impression your gate could withstand my knocking."

Hiashi would have snorted if the hokage hadn't made him aware of just _what_ he was dealing with, "That is not what one would expect to constitute a 'knock.' I trust that my daughter was not harmed in your presence?"

"Of course not," Yurei assured passively, eyes still burning, "In truth, she was harmed sometime before, and I decided to help her recover rather than... throw her back to the wolves."

Hiashi frowned, "Do you mean to imply my clan has been dealing my daughter overt harm?"

"Perhaps," The false kunoichi responded easily, "Do you mean to say that she is perfectly healthy under your care?"

"Of course," He responded, "I would _never_ allow my children to suffer."

"Truly?" Yurei asked, prompting Hiashi's frown to deepen. "Fractured phalanges, multiple bruises... I think there were even a couple internal injuries mixed in there. For instance, you knew, of course, that her chakra system was risking to burn itself out from overuse? That only covers the physical." There it was – the marginal widening of the eyes. The hidden surprise. '_So he _does_ care for his daughter. _Wonderful.'

"...Perhaps we should retire to a more secure setting," Hiashi suggested, motioning his various clansmen – a mixed sea of irritation, anger, surprise, and concern.

'_Can't stomach your own failures, can you?'_ Yurei thought, even as she nodded and followed Hiashi into the estate, passing a pair of branch members repairing the battered gate.

Hiashi led her into the core of the estate, to his own room where his wife was currently resting – having grown somewhat ill after the birth of Hiashi's second daughter, Hanabi.

"Speak." He demanded immediately, quietly.

Yurei's brow rose at his intensity but, recalling the determination of Minato, determined that it must simply be another trait of this era's fathers. "You expect too much of your daughter and she, in turn, pushes herself too hard to meet that expectation."

"You've come to question my parenting?" the clan head responded, as much surprised as he was insulted. Surprise gave way to irritation when Yurei only nodded impassively.

"This cannot continue. I've already told you of the results. When your training sessions are over, what does you daughter do?"

Hiashi's face remained stoic, and Yurei took that as a cue to continue, "She trains more, I'm sure. And more. Until her hands are breaking from striking the posts. Until she's reaching chakra exhaustion. And _then,_ if ever, she feels satisfied and goes about the rest of her day... weakened, frail, and tired because of the stress of the previous hours. I do not know your daughter, and cannot watch her – these are merely suspicions. You lost her today, and I returned her... be careful not to lose her a different way..I might not be able to hep you then."

Hiashi was visibly irritated by the end of Yurei's talk, but she dismissed herself before he could issue a rebuttal – vanishing, almost. Activating the byakugan, Hiashi winced upon spying her abnormal chakra network just outside the compound, a bright beacon amidst dim candlelight. Closing his eyes in pain, Hiashi deactivated his byakugan.

If the Uzumaki boy's chakra was a sun, then Yurei's was matched only by the gathering of a hundred stars.

.O.

Yurei meditated.

Naruto was asleep (at last), Hinata had been returned to her father, and Hiashi had been sufficiently... advised.

All troubling, as far as Yurei was concerned.

Yurei was not a sociable person by any means. In fact, some – a long, _long_ time ago – had even theorized she was actually _anti_-social. This was not true, but the point remains.

But... that was the point of meditation, for Yurei. Some meditated to find themselves. Some to find another, or some sort of truth... Yurei meditated to escape.

In her mind's eye, Yurei began to fly. Drifting into her inner world, the being of lies allowed truth to be revealed. Scarf vanished and hair became unbound, drifting out in a long aquamarine wave as her eyes lit up – somehow sparkling while remaining simultaneously dim, burning with an inner fire. Robes stained gray by age turned resplendent white, and the scythe she kept by her side became a white staff emblazoned with the sun.

Soaring through crystalline passageways – marred by several large cracks and dark clouds – the ghost, for that was what she truly was (as far as she was concerned) came to rest in a large spherical chamber. Before her was a massive sphere of writhing azure fire, ferociously struggling against the countless white chains that bound it in place. Staring into the fire, as if in a trance, the woman who called herself Kioku Yurei settled into a seated position...

As the fire vanished behind a stone wall, and a desk full of papers appeared in front of her – crystal turning to stone, and candle appearing at her side... Yurei allowed herself to forget herself. To become distant from herself... to watch her old memories unfold once more.

"_**Everyday, the forests seem farther away. The sun seems colder. Paler. The breeze against my skin grows fainter... Tell me, aelyen... tell me they were real. That the breeze, the sun, the forests – Tell me they were real! Tell me they exist!"**_A familiar, frantic voice pleaded as Yurei's past self stared on impassively. _**"Tell me!"**_ In her memory, she said nothing, and it was tears that followed.

'_That's right...'_ She mused, as if remembering something long forgotten, '_...I am nothing but a liar. A failure – a prophet of false hope and shatterer of dreams.'_


End file.
